Palace on Davao coastal road project: Public safety comes first

Malacañang on Tuesday underscored that the Marcos administration will always prioritize the safety of citizens, even with regard to the quality of infrastructure projects under its watch.

This was in connection to the opening of a segment of the Davao City Coastal Road, which was branded as premature by acting Mayor Sebastian "Baste" Duterte.

During a press briefing, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro said the portion of the road that was opened can already be used by motorists.

"Iyan din po ang sinabi ni [Public Works] Sec. Vince [Dizon]–lahat po ay tatapusin nila. At sinabi nga natin, maaari naman po ito talagang daanan sa ngayon. At muli, babanggitin ko po ang sinabi mismo ni Secretary Vince, 'Prayoridad ng Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. ang kaligtasan ng ating mga kababayan kahit saan lugar, hindi lang sa Davao o sa Manila,'" Castro said.

(That's what Sec. Vince said, they will finish everything. And just like what we said, motorists can pass through this. Again, Secretary Vince said President Ferdinand Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. wants to prioritize the safety of citizens, not just in Davao or Manila.) 

"So, nangangako po ang DPWH na agad na magbibigay ng updates tungkol sa pagbubukas ng Davao City Coastal Bypass Road sa lalong madaling panahon," she added. 

(The DPWH committed that they would provide updates on the opening of the Davao City Coastal Bypass Road.)

Castro also said that based on the initial agreement, two lanes were passable from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., and that the local government should cooperate with this to manage the traffic.

"At ang sinasabi po dito na ang initial agreement ay maaari pong buksan, passable ang two lanes at maaari pong magamit sa umaga – 6 A.M. hanggang 5 P.M. Ang kinakailangan lamang din po natin ay ang kooperasyon mismo ng LGU ng Davao City para po maging maayos po ang pagdaloy ng trapiko," Castro said. 

(Based on the initial agreement, two lanes are passable from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. The only thing needed is the cooperation of the Davao LGU to manage the traffic.) 

"At sinasabi rin po na ang DPWH solar lights installation, ito po ay two to three days ay matatapos na po ang solar lights sa buong stretch at maaari na pong madaanan kahit sa gabi," she added. 

(The solar lights installations will be finished in two to three days and these can be used even at night.)
 
Duterte said that based on inspection conducted by the Davao City Road Project Advisory and Monitoring Board on Sunday, only two lanes are nearing completion. 

The inspection also found that streetlights, safety features, and traffic signages at the Roxas Exit have yet to be installed.

The newly opened segment covers the stretch from the Times Beach Rotonda to the Roxas Exit. Segment B includes the Bucana Bridge, which connects Times Beach to the central area of Barangay 76-A, Bucana.

The bridge was built using funds from a China aid grant and was constructed by the China Road and Bridge Corporation. — VDV, GMA Integrated News